Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through strategies like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, as their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
